LONDON, England — Fancy a hotel upgrade?
Now it’s easier than ever, according to Upgradus, a new online system designed to help hotel stayers get an upgraded room at a heavily discounted rate.
The new system has been launched in the US recently, and works by offering upgrades directly to hotel guests in advance, between booking and arrival. Customers simply log in, type in where and when they are staying and then Upgradus goes to work. It contacts the hotel, lets them know a customer is interested, and if the hotel wants to offer a heavily discounted upgrade just before the stay because the room is still empty, they can. The customer can then choose to accept or decline the offer before they arrive, paying at the hotel as normal.
Guy Ratcliffe, CEO and founder of Upgradus, said: “Globally hotel occupancy is around 67%. Occupancy for premium rooms and suites is generally much lower, with some suites having occupancy rates of less than 25%. This means that most hotels have empty premium rooms for most of the year. Selling discounted upgrades to these rooms could easily add US$1 billion+ to the US$570 billion hotel market.”
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